Linear Link for Physical Activity, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

TUESDAY, April 24, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- There is a linear correlation for physical activity (PA) with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to a study published online April 23 in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.

Anne E. Visser, M.D., from the University Medical Center in Utrecht, Netherlands, and colleagues recruited patients with incident ALS and controls from five population-based registers in three European countries (Ireland, Italy, and the Netherlands) to examine the correlation between PA and ALS. Data were included for 1,557 patients and 2,922 controls.

The researchers identified linear correlations for ALS and PA in leisure time, occupational activities, and all activities combined (odds ratios, 1.07, 1.06, and 1.06, respectively), with some heterogeneity identified between regions. The most evident association was seen in the cohorts from Ireland and Italy. The odds ratios remained similar after adjustment for other occupational exposures or exclusion of patients with a C9orf72 mutation.

"We provide new class I evidence for a positive association between PA and risk of ALS in a large multicenter study using harmonized methodology to objectively quantify PA levels," the authors write.

Several authors disclosed financial ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.